Remember Me
by Lilia Lockheart
Summary: A new student transfers to Midgar High. He stumbles into a beautiful girl. Upon meeting her friends, he notices a strange nostalgic feeling. With old flames being rekindled and new bonds being formed, the group of friends must learn who to trust and who to let go. A tale of friendship and love.


Chapter 1 || Introductions

"It's a pleasure to have you enrolled in our high school, Mr. Strife."

The Principal, a woman with short black hair and sharp brown eyes, smiled.  
Cloud read the name plate on her desk.  
_Principal Aki Ross_  
He looked at the woman's hand held out before him. He took it and shook her hand. He clutches his messenger bag and leaves her office, stopping to thank her before closing the door. He walks out into an empty hall and sighs in relief. As he started to walk, the bell rings, signaling the change of classes.

He looks at his schedule and scrambles to find the room number.  
"Oof!"  
A puerile sound escapes his mouth as he bumps into someone, knocking them both down.  
"Ouch..."  
He rubs his bottom, muttering an apology.  
"I'm so sorry..."  
He looks at the girl he knocked down on the floor in front of him.  
"It's ok.." She shoots him a small smile.  
He stares at her, taking her image in.  
She had long, dark brown hair down to her waist. She brushes her bangs aside, allowing Cloud to gaze into her wine colored eyes.  
She gives him a puzzled look, before laughing.

"So you're the new kid."  
Cloud snaps out of his trance and stands up.  
"Yeah" he said as he offered her his hand. She takes it and he pulls her to her feet.  
She places one finger in front of her mouth and laughs.  
Cloud gives her a confused look.  
"Sorry, it's just... I never imagined meeting someone like this. It seems like something out of a clichéd movie."  
He chuckles to himself, "Well, I can't argue with that."  
"I'm Tifa." She flashes a smile.  
"Cloud."  
She nods, "Welcome to Midgar High...Cloud."  
The name leaves a tingle on her tongue. It seems so familiar...  
Noticing the worried look he gave her, she shakes her head.  
"We should get to class."  
She starts to walk away.  
"Ah- wait!" Cloud frantically grabs her arm.  
She turns her head, a bewildered expression on her face.  
He quickly lets go, stammering with his words.  
"S-sorry... I-it's just I don't know where my classroom is..."  
She blinks and lets out a small giggle.  
She beckons for the schedule he held in his hand. He gladly gave it to her.  
"Oh. You have art now with Professor Lilith. Just take a right down the end of this hall, and you'll find an art room."  
Cloud thanks her as they part ways.  
The image of the snow-white beauty lingers on his mind.

Tifa, huh?

Aerith takes her seat next to Yuffie, her best friend.  
"If only Tifa was here too." Yuffie sighs.  
Aerith laughs, "She refused to take art, she said her artistic skills suck."  
Yuffie puffs up her cheeks, "Breaking the 'Incredible Trio', what was she thinking?!"  
Aerith laughs again.  
Her laughter subsided once she noticed a blonde male standing at the doorway, looking around before stepping inside.

She noticed how his blue eyes sparkled as he confirmed that this was the right classroom. Her gaze followed him wherever he went. Aerith notices Professor Lilith ask him a question, then shows her his ID. She noticed some of the other girls whisper excitedly.  
"Hey hey, that's the new guy!"  
"In the middle of October?"  
"Man, he's so hot!"  
"Hotter than Zack?"  
"Maybe..."  
"No one's hotter than Zack!"  
"He may just be on the same level..!"

Aerith rolls her green eyes. These girls do nothing but gossip about every guy in the school.  
"Whoa, who's that?"  
As if just seeing him now, Yuffie widens her eye at the perfect specimen sitting across from them.  
Aerith shrugs, "He just transferred apparently."  
Now it was Yuffie's turn to roll her eyes, "Duh Aer, otherwise we'd seen him by now."  
Aerith shoots a glare at her sarcastic tone.  
As the bell signaled for class to start, the red-headed teacher strolls to the middle of the classroom.  
She briefly introduced the new student, Cloud Strife, before telling everyone their assignment.

"Cloud, huh?" Yuffie grins.  
Aerith raises an eyebrow at her friend's comment.  
Before she could say anything, the upbeat girl got up and walked to Cloud's side.  
Aerith's mouth hung agape. She quickly closed it and followed her friend, hoping not to be noticed by the professor.  
"Hi! I'm Yuffie."  
Cloud hesitantly shook her hand.  
"...Cloud."

_Oh Gaia, she was scaring him._

Aerith mentally slapped her forehead.  
She felt someone nudge her shoulder.  
She looked at Yuffie then down at Cloud.  
"I'm Aerith" she managed a smile.  
He nodded, then smiled back.  
Aerith felt her smile grow bigger. Thank goodness he was a bit more comfortable.  
They managed to find empty seats next to him, allowing them to converse with each other. Aerith occasionally threw glances at Professor Lilith. To her relief, the woman was engrossed in a magazine.  
She also heard some of the whispers of the other students, mainly females.  
"...Looks like they got him."  
"Damn, now he'll be untouchable."  
"They always get the good ones."  
Aerith's smile faltered as she continued to listen to the scornful whispers.  
This was nothing new, really.  
"...Aerith?"  
A deep voice broke her of her thoughts.  
She turned to see blue eyes staring into her green ones.  
"I'm sorry, what happened?" She hid her sad look with a small smile.  
There was a pause before Yuffie continued.  
"Since Cloud is new here, we should throw a welcoming party this Saturday."  
Aerith giggled at the excited look on Yuffie's face. She was just like a child.  
"Sure, that seems like a fun idea!"  
"It's fine, there's no need to make it a big deal." Cloud tried to calm the girls of their excitement.  
"No. You're new here, so we have to welcome you properly." Aerith's sudden commanding tone surprised Cloud.  
Yuffie, however, was unfazed and just laughed.  
"You thought she was a sweetheart huh? Well, Aerith's also very forceful." She winked.  
Aerith blushed at Yuffie's comment and turned away. She peeked at Cloud to see what his facial expression was.  
To her surprise, he was staring at her with an unreadable visage.  
Then slowly...

He smiled.

Cloud turns the dial on his lock, opening to an empty locker.  
One second pass. Five seconds. Ten seconds.  
He finally closes it again, no changes made.  
He turns to walk away.  
"Heads up!"  
Cloud turns just in time to see a football spiraling towards him.  
With one quick movement, he catches the ball in his hands.  
A bald headed man with shades run up to him.  
Cloud passed him the ball. The man thanked him before running off.  
"Nice catch. Thinking of joining the team?"  
Cloud turned around to see the source of the voice.  
In front of him was a guy just a bit taller than him. He had the same spiky hair Cloud had, only styled differently, and of a dark, raven color. He found himself staring into the same colored eyes as his.  
"No, I don't think I'm up for it."  
"Nah, you're pretty built. Well- er, from what I'm seeing anyways. You have potential."  
Cloud laughs and shakes his head.  
"Aw, well, maybe you'll change your mind." He said hopefully.  
Cloud had to admire his persistence.  
"Ah, I almost forgot. I'm Zack."  
"I'm Cloud."  
As they shook hands, nostalgia swept over them.

...Have they met before?

Just as they were staring at each other, Zack cried out.  
"Crap! Class is starting! What class do you have now?"  
Cloud looks at his schedule.  
"History with Professor Maechen."  
Zack's eyes lit up, "That's what I have!"  
He pats his back and beckons for Cloud to follow him. Together, they run to class.

Professor Maechen was an elderly man with a gray beard and odd spectacles. Cloud could tell that he loved his job, for he talked about history with a certain passion. Though it was hard for Cloud to focus, since it was his first day despite transferring in a month late in the middle of his junior year.  
"Alright, since you all behaved so well, you get the last ten minutes of class to yourselves!"  
There was a round of applause from the class. Professor Maechen started his paperwork as students began moving seats and conversing.  
Cloud sat at his desk, unsure of what to do.  
He didn't know a single person. He wasn't going to bother Zack with his friends.  
Cloud scanned the room. There was not a face he recognized.  
Until his gaze landed on a certain girl in the corner.

_Tifa._

She was sitting alone, staring out the window. There was a bored expression on her face.  
Zack and two guys approached her. One of them was the bald guy from before. They exchanged a few words before Tifa smiled and shook her head. They guys shrugged and left her alone. Zack lingered a bit more, until she sent him away. She returned her gaze back to the window.  
Cloud hesitated. He didn't want to be rejected like those guys. But his body moved anyways.

"Hey."  
Tifa turned her attention to him.  
"Hey, so we do have class together." She grinned.  
He pulls a chair from a different desk and sits down opposite of her.  
"Guess so." He smiles.  
There was a pause.  
Cloud touched the back of his neck, wondering what to say next.  
"Um-" They both started.  
They looked at each other, then burst into laughter.  
"No, you first."  
She shakes her head, "Go on."  
Another round of laughter.  
"I, uh- I was just gonna ask if- no never mind!" He turns his head away, cheeks burning from embarrassment.  
She looks at him and giggles.  
He looks at her then immediately turns his eyes towards the window.  
Cloud wasn't one to talk. He usually was just one to listen. Not a man of words, he supposed.  
"May I see your schedule?"  
He sees a smile playing on her lips.  
He hands it to her.  
She started comparing their schedules. Curious, he looks at her sheet, wondering if he had any other classes with her.  
"You're in the advanced program. We have many classes toget-"  
She stops as she noticed their faces were only inches apart.  
He didn't know how long they stayed like that, but time seemed to move slowly. He could see her eyes clearly. They were a beautiful red color. Her rosy lips were parted a bit. He blushed as he found himself staring at them. She lets out a small laugh.

"Sorry.." He apologized, moving his head back.  
"It's ok, really." She gave him a comforting smile.  
Tifa takes out a pen from her bag and scribbles something on the back of his schedule.  
Before he could say anything, the bell rang.  
She gave him a small wave as she exited the room.  
Cloud looks at the neat scribble.  
He chuckles at the peculiar drawing.

It was a drawing of him, looking up at the clouds in the sky.

Bang!

Zack closes his locker with a bit more force than he intended.  
"Something up your ass?"  
"Shut up Rude."  
Rude laughs, despite his eyes hidden by his shades, his lips curled upwards.  
"See ya later, man."  
Zack nods.  
Once the tall guy was out of sight, he sighed.  
He had watched Tifa talking to Cloud. Her face lighting up at his presence.  
Of course, Zack wasn't the type to get jealous.  
But once he turned his attention to the two once more, he noticed they were extremely close to each other. His breath was caught in his throat as he watched Tifa stare dearly into his eyes. He was able to breathe again when they moved apart.

Saying hi to people as he walked by them, Zack couldn't help but look for that blonde transfer student.  
He didn't hate the guy. Hell, he didn't even know him. If anything, then he could see them becoming good friends. There was something about Cloud that he liked.  
But he felt uneasy when he sees him with Tifa.  
He's known Tifa since before he joined military school. They lost contact, so he was surprised to see her here at Midgar High School.  
He was just happy she hadn't forgotten about him.

"Zaaaaaack! Over here!"  
He scanned the cafeteria for the voice he knew so well.  
Once he found her, he cupped both hands around his mouth and yelled back.  
"Ok! I'll be right there!"  
This earned them some sour looks and amused faces from other students nearby.  
Yuffie laughed and gave him a thumbs up, sitting back down between Aerith and Tifa.  
He laughs to himself as he stood on the line.  
Noticing a familiar spiky head in the front, he snuck up beside him.  
"Yo!"  
The guy gave him a bewildered expression before looking back at the girl standing behind him.  
Zack sighed.  
He was one of those good guys huh?  
Zack turned to the petite girl behind Cloud and winked. After a few seconds, she let him skip her, a red shade painted on her face.

"Lady killer."  
Zack heard what Cloud muttered. He didn't get offended, he just laughed.  
"You should use your charms once in a while for a good cause."  
"This was a good cause?" Cloud questioned.  
Zack shrugs, "Well... I'm pretty hungry. You wouldn't want me starving would you?"  
Cloud grinned, "It's not like there's a whole population of females who aren't going to feed you."  
Zack laughs, "You may be right."

Cloud got his food and walked off. Zack hurriedly thanked the lunch lady and followed after him.  
"Where are you going?"  
"To find a table."  
"Why don't you sit with us?"  
A pause.  
"You sure?"  
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have offered."  
Cloud slowly nodded.  
This time, he was following Zack.

"What took you so long?!" Yuffie grumbled.  
"Sorry, but I brought a guest!"  
Aerith looked up at him, "A guest?"  
But Zack could tell they all had an idea of who it was.  
Cloud stood there awkwardly holding his tray.  
"Uh.. Hey.."  
Aerith and Tifa looked speechless. But Yuffie excitedly jumped up.  
"Cloud!" She moved over, pushing Tifa along with her.  
"Ow! Yuffie!" Tifa scolded.  
Yuffie paid no attention as she continued making room for Cloud.  
Tifa almost falls from her seat, Zack grabs her by her waist before she could fall.  
"Ah... Thanks." She looks at him.  
"No problem." He smiles before finally letting go of her.  
He had sat down next to Tifa and started eating his sandwich.  
"Enough! That's enough space for him, Yuffie! You almost pushed Tifa off!" Aerith chides.  
Yuffie pouts, causing Tifa and Zack to laugh.  
They finally settled down, with Cloud in the middle of Yuffie and Aerith.  
Suddenly, the round lunch table got smaller.  
Zack smiled to himself.  
It suddenly got a lot livelier.

"I already invited Reno and the others. So make sure you guys don't have any plans Saturday!" Yuffie said.  
"Wait, what?" Zack asked, lost.  
Yuffie rolled her eyes, "You weren't listening."  
"Nothing new there. Zack's attention span is like a 2-year-old." Aerith teased.  
They laughed.  
"Sorry. But what party?" Zack asked again.  
"Cloud's welcoming party! Since Cloud just transferred, he should be able to properly meet people and have fun with them." Yuffie explained.  
Everyone's attention turned to Cloud.  
He puts down his drink and looked at it.  
"You guys really don't have to..."  
"We want to. It'll be a nice event." Aerith smiles at him.  
Cloud holds her gaze for a while before turning away.  
"Thanks.."  
Yuffie pats his back.

Zack glances at Tifa to see her expression.  
Her eyes were closed as she drank her sweet milk.  
Zack smirked and leaned into her ear.  
"You know...you don't need to drink any more of that..."  
Tifa sputtered and slammed the bottle down.  
She jabs her finger hard into his rib.  
Cloud, Aerith and Yuffie turned to see what happened.  
Tifa glares at the table as Zack tried to hold back a cry and a laugh.  
Aerith, of course, turns to him.  
"What did you do?"  
Zack lets out a pained chuckle, "N-nothing really."  
If looks could kill, he would've died about now.  
He unintentionally lock eyes with Cloud, his expression unreadable.  
Zack was the first to break contact, feeling unusually guilty at his gaze.  
"A-anyways, the party's two days from now. You sure that's-"  
"Zack Fair! Are you questioning my party throwing abilities?!"  
"No Miss Kisaragi." He looked at her, a serious look on his face.  
"Better not."  
She paused as she noticed Cloud's uncomfortable look.  
She sighs, "It won't be a big party. Just a few of our friends. And I won't go crazy or over the top with this."  
Cloud seemed to ease up as she said this.  
"Tifa and I will help you get everything ready." Aerith offered.  
Yuffie nodded and hugged her two best friends.

"Where are you throwing it?" Tifa asked.  
Yuffie looked at her with puppy dog eyes.  
Tifa shot her straight down.  
"No."  
Of course, she didn't give up.  
"Would my place do?"  
They turned to see their red-headed womanizing friend.  
"Are you sure?" Tifa asked.  
He hugs her from behind, "For you? Anything."  
Aerith rolled her eyes as Yuffie made a gagging gesture.  
Cloud eyes him with disdain.  
Zack pulls Tifa closer to him, and away from Reno.  
Cloud and Aerith's eyes widened.  
Tifa looked up at him.

_Shit._

He quickly lets go of her, not realizing what he had done.  
Reno laughs, "Why so serious?"  
Zack sighed.  
Reno was a good friend, but he had a habit of making advances towards the entire female population.  
Yuffie cleared her throat, "After what happened last time, I doubt your parents will let you throw another party."  
"Who said they're gonna be home?" He smirked.  
"Who said they won't find out?" Aerith countered.  
Reno shrugged. He went to sit down next to Zack.  
"If I clean up before they return, they won't know."  
"That's what you said last time, and look what happened." Tifa said.  
"We won't fill the pool with booze this time."  
Zack grunted. It was Reno's idea to fill it with booze, some of them had gotten drunk the minute they jumped in.  
"That doesn't make it any safer to hide from your parents." Aerith looked at him with concern.  
"It's gonna be a small party, it won't be such a big deal." Reno told them.  
Tifa looked at Yuffie, who looked at Cloud.  
He seemed uneasy with the whole situation. And Zack felt that it was wrong to make him listen to their bickering. Aerith sighed. She looked at Zack, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She finally gave in and nodded.

"Fine, we'll have it at your place."  
Reno's smirk grew bigger. He got up from his seat and patted Aerith's head. He waved them good-bye and told them he'll get in touch later.  
"He's delightful." Cloud said sarcastically.  
Zack chuckles, "He'll get better once you know him."  
Cloud shrugs, "Hope so."

They cleaned up their table and head off to class as signaled by the bell.


End file.
